


Seven Minutes

by roughvoiced



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: 16 year old harry, 18 year old louis, 7 minutes in heaven, M/M, Okay bye, Seven Minutes In Heaven, The X Factor, and really not a lot happens tbh, and this almost definitely probably doesnt end like you think its going to, basically they're young, drivel, i forget, if louis was even 18 on x factor, really - Freeform, this is set like near the end of txf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2018-01-24 11:50:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1604099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roughvoiced/pseuds/roughvoiced
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Just so you know,” Harry laughs, staring down at his hands, a nervous twinge to his voice. “I don’t really wanna be in here either so.”</p><p>Or; <i>the one where Harry and Louis are forced to play seven minutes in heaven in the x factor house.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Seven Minutes

**Author's Note:**

> so i was watching that episode of adventure time where jake and lady rainicorn go for seven minutes in heaven whilst jake defeats the zombie candy people and then this happened.
> 
> its kind of like that only without the zombies.

 “Just so you know,” Harry laughs, staring down at his hands, a nervous twinge to his voice. “I don’t really wanna be in here either so.”

Louis scoffs at him as a key scrapes in the lock.

“Don’t even bother guys. You were the ones who wouldn’t do the dare, you’ve only got yourselves to blame.” Comes Zayn’s voice through the crack under the door, mixing with the faint orange glow spilling into the otherwise dark room. “Liam’s set the timer on his phone, we’ll come get you when times up.”

And then, once the three sets of footsteps have retreated and the mumbling has died down, it’s quiet, almost deadly silent, except for the sound of breathing coming reassuringly steadily from the both of them.

“Is, um,” Harry sighs, his foot slipping from where it was tucked up under his thigh, nudging Louis’ calf. “Is now like, a really bad time to tell you I’m really scared of the dark?” He whispers into the blackness.

Sighing, Louis scrubs a hand down his face. “I mean, yeah, no. No, its. It’s whatever. Whatever, you’ll be fine. You’re a big boy now.”

Harry sniffles a little, staying silent.

“Shit, Harry. I didn’t,” He reaches out for him, flinching when Harry jerks his leg away from Louis’ touch. “I didn’t mean it like that Harry. I’m sorry, okay. I’m just, I’m a twat, I wasn’t thinking. Sorry. I’ll look after you, yeah?”

Scoffing, Harry shuffles around a bit, drawing his legs back up under his chin as best he can, trying to fold himself the way he’s observed Louis doing so many times. “M’not a child, Louis. I’m bloody 16; I’m legal for god’s sake!”

He draws in a quick breath, suddenly nervous, burying his head between his knees, mumbling nonsensically until he feels a light pressure on his ankle, fingers slowly getting a little tighter around his leg. “I know, love. I know.”

“Don’t act like it though, all of you. Mothering me like a bloody new born.”

“Harry.”

Yanking his leg away, he curls up tighter into himself, the little bit of puppy fat he still hasn’t managed to shift nipping painfully under the waistband of his jeans. “Just leave it yeah? Few minutes more and we can get out of here.”

“Hey, no. Listen to me, hey.” He nudges his toes against Harry’s thigh, running his bare foot along the denim. “I’m not cross with you, you know that right? We kissed, jeez. It’s not the end of the world okay? I’m not gonna make it awkward and give you shit for it. It was cute, I’m not bothered. I get that you needed to, I dunno, get it out of your system or something. Whatever. It was days ago.”

“Are you serious?”

Dropping his foot away, Louis scoots further up the wall, crossing his legs. “Sorry?”

“Cute? That’s all you have to say? _It was cute_?”

Silence falls over them again, wrapping them up like a blanket, until Harry pipes up again.

“I mean, I wouldn’t mind, yano. But, the thing is I’ve been really, obvious about it. I mean, really, really bloody obvious about it-”

“I know.”

“I don’t even see how I could be more obvious if I tried! I’m being painfully obvious about it, Louis. I sleep in your bed, I flirt with you, I sit next to you in interviews, I mess about with you on photo shoots. Kissing you was the only thing left for me to do!”

“I know.”

“Even the boys know, for Christ’s sake. That’s why they fucking locked us in here like this. Don’t you _see_ , Louis? How can you not see it, I don’t understand.” He stops, letting out a long shallow breath that he didn’t know he’d been holding in. “I don’t get it.”

Shuffling across the few feet of distance between them, Louis manoeuvres himself next to Harry, folding his knees up under his chin and pressing himself along his side, touching from shoulder to knee. “I don’t know what to say.” He whispers into Harry’s shoulder, pressing his face into the junction of his neck.

“Then don’t.” He tells him. “Doesn’t matter. Just leave it. Can’t be long left now.”

So he does. He stays there, pressed against Harry in the tiny cupboard in the middle of the huge house, once so full of people, now almost completely empty save for the five of them and the remaining 3 contestants. It was nicest though, he thinks to himself, during the busy bustle of the first week. Everyone getting to know each other, bumping elbows in the kitchen, arguing about beds, Harry clinging to him like a limpet, the nerves too much for him.

He had been cute then, not that he isn’t anymore, but cut _er_ then. The five of them preparing to take on the world together, Harry as the centre of their world, young and innocent and vulnerable. And, of course, Louis had taken him under his wing, taken it upon himself to take care of him and protect him.

It was probably a mistake, getting close, letting Harry in. He’d told the boys, not long ago, about his crush on Harry. Told them whilst Harry was snuggled up under his arm on the top bunk they share, the rest of the house quiet, everyone else’s rooms on the other side of the house, across the landing and down those two little steps Louis always forgot about and tripped down when he went over to visit Aiden. Told them when Liam was texting his mum and Niall was reading through the lyrics for that week’s song again and Zayn was pretty much fully asleep anyway. He still doesn’t really know why he told them. God, they didn’t even know he was _like that_ , he’d only just really figured it out himself. But it just felt right, telling them. He couldn’t pretend forever, especially not in front of his boys.

He could be someone else in front of the press, in front of the other contestants, the general public.

Not his boys though.

Beside him, Harry sniffles, pulling his phone from his pocket, the glow of the screen almost blinding after so long in the dingy lighting. Staring down at Harry’s phone background, Louis realises that they’ve almost definitely been in here longer than 7 minutes.

“S’nice.” He says, voice croaky and grainy from disuse.

Harry hums, thumbing over the picture. “From judges houses.”

“Yeah.” Louis says quietly. “Yeah. I know where it’s from.”

And he really does. Remembers Harry taking the photo on his shitty little camera phone, some old model from a few years ago, pulling Louis into his side as they sat on the wall outside Simon Cowell’s place, right after they’d sung Torn, Louis foot still throbbing from his run in with the local wildlife. “ _Smile_ ,” He’d grinned at Louis, face splitting almost in two.

And he had. Despite the nerves and the tension and the blinding fear curled in his gut, he’d smiled through his pain, his face smushed right up against Harry’s, the Spanish sun beating down on them.

They were happy.

The two of them, together, sort of just them. Zayn and Niall and Liam there too, of course they were, but it didn’t feel like it. He’d go back; Louis would, if he could. Back to the start of the X Factor, back to the bathroom and do things properly.

But he can’t and now he’s in too deep down the path he doesn’t want to be on.

And he’s stuck there.

Harry stirs beside him as they hear the footsteps approaching and Louis thinks, even though he can only make out the contours of his face in the darkness, that he can see a dampness to his cheeks.

And as the key scrapes against the lock again and the bright artificial light floods the cupboard, Harry stands up, shaking out his hair and wiping at his face.

“Had a good ‘un boys?” Niall asks, as Harry nudges up against him.

Humming, he wraps an arm around his shoulders. “Could murder a pizza.” He murmurs.

“Zayn just put some lunch on.” Liam chips in. “Think he put a pizza in. You can have first dibs if ‘ya like.”

Harry nods, letting Niall lead him off towards the kitchen, Liam following along behind them.

“Coming, Lou?” He asks, looking back over his shoulder. “S’gonna go cold.”

He sighs, sagging down the wall, legs stretched out so his toes are touching the wall opposite, his shirt riding up so the ugly purple carpet is pressed against his bare skin. He watches him walk away, jogging a little to catch up with the other boys, with Niall and Harry. Louis just groans, watching as they round the corner, away from the cupboard. He tips head back, banging it against the wall a few times before pushing himself off the floor with a groan.

“I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr](http://larrytrash.tumblr.com/) if you want.


End file.
